Winemaker Notes
Color: ruby. Initial aromas of plummy, jammy fruit. Opens up with perfumed aromas of berries, spice, stem, floral and cedar. Medium-bodied. Pleasant, smooth, round and fruity on the palate. Moderate tannins lend a bittersweet/baking chocolate note to the finish. A medium-weight, fruit-driven classic Zinfandel with enough weight and structure for grilled meats, such as flank or skirt steak, braised lamb, osso buco, pastas with meaty sauces, even eggplant Parmesan. This wine will pair as well with summer's barbecues as it will with fall and winter's casseroles and hearty bakes.
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
The Hendry family planted this four- acre block in 1998, using a selection from old vines at the Brandlin Ranch on Mount Veeder, a property Hendry had been farming. The vines are now mature, producing an elegant, floral zinfandel with brisk energy in its tannins. Those tannins combine woodland rusticity and mineral refinement, merging seamlessly with the violet, raspberry-scented fruit.
Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.